Rule 12—(1) In this rule— a section referred to by number means the section so numbered in the Mental Health Act 1983 and “Part II” means Part II of that Act;
“place of residence” means, in relation to a patient who is receiving treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or other institution, that hospital or institution;
“hospital authority” means the managers of a hospital as defined in section 145 (1).
(2) An application to a county court under Part II shall be made by a claim form filed in the court for the district in which the patients' place of residence is situated or, in the case of an application made under section 30 for the discharge or variation of an order made under section 29, in that court or in the court which made the order.
(3) Where an application is made under section 29 for an order that the functions of the nearest relative of the patient shall be exercisable by some other person—
(a)the nearest relative shall be made a respondent to the application unless the application is made on the grounds set out in subsection (3)(a) of the said section or the court otherwise orders, and
(b)the court may order that any other person, not being the patient, shall be made a respondent.
(4) On the hearing of the application the court may accept as evidence of the facts stated therein any report made by a medical practitioner and any report made in the course of his official duties by—
(a)a probation officer, or
(b)an officer of a local authority or of a voluntary organisation exercising statutory functions on behalf of a local authority, or
(c)an officer of a hospital authority:
Provided that the respondent shall be told the substance of any part of the report bearing on his fitness or conduct which the judge considers to be material for the fair determination of the application.
(5) Unless otherwise ordered, an application under Part II shall be heard and determined by the court sitting in private.
(6) For the purpose of determining the application the judge may interview the patient either in the presence of or separately from the parties and either at the court or elsewhere, or may direct the district judge to interview the patient and report to the judge in writing.
1983 c. 20; section 145(1) was amended by the Health Authorities Act 1995 (c. 17), section 2(1), schedule 1, Part III, paragraph 107; by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19), section 66(1), schedule 9, paragraph 24(9); and by the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 1994 (c. 6), section 1.